Lee Soo-man Recognized for Promoting K-Pop Around the World

K-pop tycoon Lee Soo-man was given a plaque of appreciation by Culture Minister Choung Byoung-gug on Wednesday in recognition of his contribution to promoting Korean pop music all over the world.

Lee, the founder and CEO of SM Entertainment, has been a pioneer of overseas promotion for more than a decade, starting with a concert he organized by the then hugely popular boy band H.O.T in Beijing in 2000. More recently, a bevy of stars from his company's stable gave successful concerts in Paris in June.

"Now that K-pop is spreading around the world through social networking sites like YouTube and Facebook, we need to develop more viable domestic content," Lee told Choung after the event. "H.O.T. and singer BoA achieved huge success here first, and that enabled them to go abroad. We need to improve the digital sound source market, including new marketing techniques."

Korean expats and foreigners are learning Korean by listening to K-pop, he claimed. He suggested the government build a school where young people from around the world can learn about Korean pop culture -- not only music but also TV dramas and films.